CHAPTER 5

[faentasy]

CHAPTER 5

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Almost half of the non-fairy population of Aira Niluc is gone.

Some may be feeling the absence of their fellow participants in this story. Others will stay focused on the wish they want to get. What never changes is that the story goes on, bringing you closer to the end -- and to another chapter. What will it bring this time?

Snow!

Snow as far as the eye can see, a cold blanket covering the new area. Some winter amenities are now available, ready for perusal! But that's not all there's to find: everyone also will find reminders of their homes, of people they know, of happier times.

Of their wishes.

Who will try to reach their wish this time?

[[Welcome to Week 5! Feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. However, please try to keep investigations to Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! You can also privately contact Hamelin at your leisure.

In addition, a reminder that any Murder Proposals for this week are due by Tuesday 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST! However, please note that you have the option of submitting murder proposals for a later week as well.]]

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Comments

[biqe]

[ Honestly, at this point he's less concerned with the spelling than he once was... mostly he's just impressed that Suga still remembers it at all.

He nods, though he feels a little uncomfortable revealing things like this behind their backs, given... everything about the situation. ]

...Obviously it's a little different than exoflecting people from other worlds, but yes. They are.

[gemuinemanagement]

That must be difficult
It's hard not to project your feelings about the first versions onto their copies
But that also isn't fair to these versions

[biqe]

[ hahahahahahahahaha oh no one knows the half of it ]

...No, it... it isn't fair to them.

[gemuinemanagement]

[Suga reaches out and pats Phil's shoulder once.]

But I think it's human and natural
It doesn't make you a bad person

[biqe]

[ ...

He touches Suga's hand lightly, then gently pushes it away. ]

That's... not the case. This Ix in particular has gone through a great deal of suffering solely because of me. Because of selfish choices I consciously made. I did much worse than simply project my feelings for the first Ix onto him.

[gemuinemanagement]

[Ah.]

But you're doing what you can to make up for it now, right

[biqe]

I'm... trying to, as much as I can. But it's not going to undo any of it. The best I can hope to do is mitigate some of the damage from the ripple effects of my own actions.

[gemuinemanagement]

It's impossible to undo the past
Hamelin said it was simple once
I told him if it was that easy I wouldn't need a wish for it

[biqe]

Mm... The best you can do is change how everyone else remembers it happening.

[ Though that's at least said with a soft, self-deprecating laugh that implies he's well aware that there's actually nothing good about that. ]

[gemuinemanagement]

That doesn't save anyone
Or make you feel any less guilty in the end

[biqe]

Well, that was supposed to be a joke.

...Trust me, I know.

[gemuinemanagement]

We really are way too alike, aren't we

[biqe]

Did you actually do that?

[gemuinemanagement]

Make people forget?
No
But everyone who knew about it has left
Which amounts to the same thing

[biqe]

Ah...

It doesn't, though. Not really.

[gemuinemanagement]

There's no one who can blame you for what you've done
Even though you'd rather be blamed for it

[biqe]

Well... I've gotten at least some of the blame I deserve.

[gemuinemanagement]

That's more than me

[This may also have to do with him being a child at the time, but shhh.]

The voices of the children spirits in the forest tell me that I've only ever hurt people
But I don't think they count?
They say a lot of things

[biqe]

It almost certainly should be more than you, though.

[ ... ]

What is it you did that you think is so unforgivable?

[gemuinemanagement]

It's only because she was chasing after me that Shii-chan went into the forest
It's only because she was trying to protect me that she made the promise
If I hadn't gone into the forest that day
Her life wouldn't be at risk
She wouldn't have had to leave her home
And the village would still have its proper protectors
Instead of just me

rays spoilers

[biqe]

[ That all sounds... pretty much like what he'd expected, really. And while he can understand why Suga would feel guilt over it, especially as a child, the idea that it's anywhere near the level of his own sins is laughable. ]

I see... but none of that sounds like it was intentional. You made that distinction before yourself, didn't you? And I know you made that same assumption of my own actions before, but—

[ There's a long pause as he debates whether he really wants to get into this... but finally, he sighs, closing his eyes momentarily, and taking a deep breath when he opens them again. ]

The Ix you saw here a moment ago — I exoflected him myself, with an atypical technique that allows us to bypass the usual time constraints by creating from memories. It also makes it easier to alter the memories and personalities of those exoflections. When I created him, I manipulated his memories so that he wouldn't remember any of the things I wanted him to forget... things I was ashamed of. And I altered his personality to make him much more fearful of things than he'd ever been before, hoping that the added anxiety would keep him from taking any dangerous actions that might lead to his dying like the first one had.

He was disgusted with me when I finally revealed this to him... and rightfully so. Everything I did was completely deliberate, and it was all for the sake of trying to assuage my own guilt rather than for him.

[gemuinemanagement]

[...Ah.

That is a lot. And he understands a little better why Phil hates himself so much.

...But.]

I understand
I'm not the person who has to forgive you for that
But I understand why you did what you did